Beauty and the Beast
by Tigyr
Summary: Alternate reality retelling of Beauty and the Beast with our favorite characters
1. Chapter 1

This one has been on the pc for a few years now and decided to finally post it. I own nothing to do with the Sailor Moon family although I wouldn't mind my own Darien/Mamoru eventually.

Beauty and the Beast—Sailor Moon style

He is alone with a few exceptions. It is as he has decreed. He isn't going to let any of his subjects suffer the way he does. He won't chance their lives with the wizard. He doesn't know why the wizard did this to him, but he won't risk his tenants becoming pawns in a game in which HE doesn't know all the rules.

He sighs in frustration. He knows his advisors aren't happy with his decision, but they are under his protection. They are just as much at risk as the tenants. He has to make them realize that fact. He has to make them leave. He won't take no for an answer.

Kaleb, the Captain of the Royal Guard, comes in with his wife, Mina. The two have been crucial in making certain that the tenants made it to the mainland safely. Neither of them are happy with his decision. Mina starts to protest, but Kaleb draws her off to the side and whispers something in her ear. She still isn't happy, but accepts whatever Kaleb has told her. She curtseys to her king and waits for Kaleb.

Kaleb has a plan in mind, but he isn't about to share it with his king. After all, he is supposed to protect his king, not run at the first sign of trouble. He murmurs his goodbye and shakes the king's hand. "I will be back to check on you old friend. Nothing you do or say will prevent me from doing so." With that, Kaleb escorts Mina out the door, whispering his plan as they leave.

Ned and Lita are the next couple to lodge a complaint. Ned cautions him against throwing out all of his allies, while Lita fumes about the wizard. She is one of Kaleb's guards and also a great cook, but she is as upset as Kaleb when she finds out that the king intends to make them leave the island. She and Kaleb started making plans the instant the king told them of his intentions.

Ned knew of Lita and Kaleb's plans, but he also knew that the king was seeing things from a different perspective. The king was scared, but even more than that, he was angry. Angry with himself, for trusting someone to such an extent they'd betrayed him…worse, they'd turned him into the beast he was now. And he didn't want anyone close to him to have a chance of being turned into the creature he was. Or of being turned into something worse, and then having that person cast out of the villages that were in his domain.

Jason and Raye enter the hall as Lita and Ned leave. As they pass each other, the ladies make plans to meet on the mainland later that week. The two men nod as Jason and Raye continue to their destination. Raye demands to know "What in the name of all that's holy are you going to accomplish by sending us away! We're supposed to be your advisors, and help protect you…even from yourself!"

The king looks at Jason who shrugs and says, "You know it's true. We are supposed to be here for you and now that this has happened, you're sending us away for our own protection. I hate to break it to you, but if he found you on this remote rock, what makes you think he can't find us on the mainland?"

The king replies, "Because he's been to the mainland and as populated as it is, his powers are more limited there. I'm convinced that I'm his target. I'm just not taking chances with your lives."

Jason nods thoughtfully and gently leads his wife out of the room. When she starts to protest, he silences her first with a kiss, then with the information the king had given him. "Come on, we need to tell Kaleb what we've been told."

Amy and Zander are the last to visit the king. They both serve as physicians while in the castle. Amy is into herbal lore while Zander learns of new advances in the health field. They both watch over the castle and take care of the villagers. They exchange their knowledge with each other as well as the king, because he had wanted to become a physician prior to taking over as ruler of this small island.

They did not come to protest the king's decision, they only came to give him some herbs and other remedies he might need during their exile. They fully intend to return to this castle someday, and they want a healthy ruler when they come back.

Two more days pass, and then he is truly alone. No one is left; he'd seen them all leave. As much as he'd wanted to ask them to stay, he is relieved that they are finally out of harms way.

That's all for this installment. Should I keep going?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Beauty and the Beast…all disclaimers apply, I do not own Sailor Moon et al.

Unknown to the king, he did have someone watching over him. Selune, goddess of the moon, had seen the whole incident. She also had a fair idea why King Darien had been cursed by the wizard.

Darien had been a fair and just ruler. His tenants adored him, and so had a young woman named Beryl. Beryl has waist long reddish brown hair and deep brown eyes. At the age of 28, the woman is firmly built and has curves in all the right places. She'd seen Darien while he was out on his daily ride around the countryside. He'd tipped an imaginary hat to her and continued on his way while Beryl went head over heels in lust. She'd tried several ways to make Darien fall in love with her, but they all failed. Darien just wasn't interested. His people and his kingdom came first.

A traveling bunch of gypsies had come over from the mainland. Among them was a young wizard named Melvin the Magnificent. Melvin fell in love with Beryl, and vowed to do whatever he could to make her happy. "Although, I don't think my magic will work too well over here, there's not much to focus on."

On the contrary, there was plenty to focus on, and Beryl had him do just that. She focused on making Melvin so jealous of Darien, that he would do anything to get rid of the king. That suited Beryl just fine. If she couldn't have Darien, no one could. Melvin however proved to have just a little bit of backbone and refused to kill Darien. Instead he conjured up a spell.

Darien had deep-ocean blue eyes, ebony black hair, and a firm athletic build. At 6' 2" in height, his trim body was everything most women dream of finding in a man. Add to that a charming if somewhat aloof personality and Melvin knew what he was going to do.

"Don't worry, Beryl, he won't ever hurt you again. I'll make sure he never leaves this island. He had better enjoy his time as a human, as of midnight, he'll never be that form again."

Selune watched as Beryl and Melvin made their plans. She would intercede if it became absolutely necessary. After all, Darien was one of her favorite humans. That night, as Melvin cast his spell upon the unsuspecting ruler, Selune cast a spell of protection on Darien. It came a fraction of a second too late.

When Darien woke up the next morning, he started to rub the sleep out of his eyes when something stopped him. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands. They were shaped like claws! He cautiously slipped out of bed and looked in the mirror.

"AAAAHHHH!" He'd been turned into a wolf/dragon. His face, upper torso and arms were those of a silver-coated wolf. His lower torso and legs were similar to a silver dragon. He even had dragon wings on his back!

Kaleb had heard him cry out and burst into the room without knocking. "Your Highness! What—oh my God! Darien is that you?"

Darien turned to his friend and nodded. Kaleb, his face almost as white as his hair, gingerly checked his King over for injuries. When he found nothing, he asked Darien if he knew of anyone who would do this to him.

Darien was still in a state of shock. He couldn't believe anyone would do something like this to another human. And why pick on him? What had he done to deserve this? He looked at Kaleb and asked him to summon the other advisors. He found to his relief that he could still speak like a human even if he did look like a beast.

They made plans to evacuate all the tenants from the island. Everyone would be taken care of financially, Darien had made certain of that. It took over six weeks to get everyone off the island, but Darien figured that if his people were safe, then nothing else mattered. The last thing he had to do was to send the advisors over.

Selune knew that Darien wanted his friends to be safe, and that she had failed to prevent the spell from taking effect. However, as she began her vigil over Darien, she noticed something that she hadn't seen the night the spell was cast. Somehow Beryl had warped the spell to such an extent, that if Selune hadn't put her protective ward over him, Darien's heart would have burst within the first three days.

Selune knew that she didn't have much time. Five years if she was lucky. She had to find the advisors and tell them what she knew.

Just then a soul-shattering scream pierced the night. Selune headed for the moon, and found her worst nightmare. Her daughter, Queen Serenity, was unconscious on the floor of the throne room. Princess Neptune was out cold on the floor beside the Queen. Of Serenity's daughter, Serena, there was no sign.

Princess Uranus ran in and skidded to a halt in front of Selune. "I'm sorry, I tried to stop them, but they got away from me. If we try and go after them, I still might be able to pick up their trail." She swayed and Selune could see that Uranus was bleeding from several wounds. "Don't worry, the princess is alive. I can tell that she's out cold but still alive." With that Uranus passed out on the floor next to Neptune.

Princess Pluto came in and reassured Selune that Serena was alive. "I can't see much else, but she will live through this."

Pluto guarded the Gates of Time and very rarely left them. That the dark haired princess had done so at this time impressed Selune tremendously. Selune thanked the tall young woman and made a silent vow to help Pluto whenever she could. After all, she didn't want to see the young woman's glorious raven hair turn green from standing idle at the gates.

"Pluto, do what you can to find Serena. Let me know immediately if anything goes wrong and what I can do to help."

Pluto nodded and headed for the portal that would lead her back to the Gates of Time. She paused briefly and said, "Tell Queen Serenity that we will get the princess back. Once Uranus and Neptune are healed, we'll search the universe for her if we have to." With that, she stepped through the portal.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Beauty and the Beast…all disclaimers apply, I do not own Sailor Moon et al.

Selune groaned in disbelief at the way things had developed. First King Darien's enchantment and now her beloved granddaughter had been kidnapped. Selune summoned the castle healers to the throne room. She knew that Neptune and Uranus had to be badly hurt. The two princesses weren't quite indestructible, but they didn't pass out from minor wounds either.

How to tell her daughter about Serena? She didn't know what or how to explain to Serenity that Serena was gone. Serenity started waking up and Selune knew she had to tell her the truth.

"M-Mother? What happened here?" Serenity groggily tried to sit up. She looked around the throne room and saw the two visiting princesses still being treated by the healers. "No…it wasn't a dream! Serena! SERENA! NOOOO!"

Selune held Serenity as they both cried for the missing princess. Once Serenity had calmed down, Selune asked her if she remembered what had happened. "We were just returning from the gardens. Serena had asked Neptune about life on the outer planets. The older girls were finally starting to communicate with us. Well, at least they were talking to Serena. Anyway, we returned from a pleasant lunch in the gardens and poof! We were attacked."

Selune thinks about this new information. "Serenity, I need you to think carefully about my next question. What were you discussing during the lunch?"

"I didn't really say much of anything. I was still in shock at the way the older princesses were listening to Serena. They weren't treating her as if she was a child or a nuisance. They were laughing and talking to her as if they were all the best of friends."

A low growl interrupts them. "She IS our friend and we will get her back." It's Uranus. The tall blonde with short-cropped hair stood up. She briefly checked on Neptune who was starting to stir. Uranus's gunmetal blue eyes were flat as she approached the other two women. "Princess Serena was talking about her upcoming birthday party. She was asking us about which guests she should invite. She was considering opening talks between Earth and the Moon."

This surprised both older women. Uranus laughed at their expressions. "You didn't honestly think you could keep Serena from trying to make peace do you? Just why do you think Neptune and I are here? We are her liaisons for the negotiations. She was ready to sue for peace between the two kingdoms. Her birthday ball was to be the icing on the cake so to speak."

Serenity nods in silent understanding. Her daughter had a generous heart and a gift of making peace when no one else could. The relations between the two kingdoms were strained at best and Serena had been begging her mother and the council to make whatever amends they needed in order to survive.

Selune quickly tells the others what has transpired on Earth. Uranus and Neptune are surprised at the developments and vow to start a background check on Beryl.

In their eyes it was too coincidental, Darien's enchantment and Serena's kidnapping happening within weeks of each other. Something was going on and they vowed to find out what.

Selune and Serenity lean on each other as they try to figure out where Beryl might have taken Serena. Serenity looks at her mother in despair. "Where can she be and why can't I feel her mental imprint?"

Selune mind links with Serenity and finds that the mother/daughter bond is there, but it's very faint. Distance is the only thing that could affect a mental bond that way.

Selune slips back into her own mind and looks carefully at her daughter. How is she supposed to explain that not only is Serena missing, she's not even on the moon anymore. Serenity gazes into her mother's dark gray eyes and knows the truth. "Serena's not here anymore, is she?"

Selune shakes her head no and poses the next question. "What do you want to do next? We both know she's not on the moon anymore. Shall I call in Uranus and Neptune and ask for their input?"

"Wait. They are researching that Beryl woman. Maybe we should try to help King Darien instead." Serenity takes a deep breath and continues. "If we combine our powers, we might be able to make life a little easier for his body if not his mind. Make his heart more compatible with the new body that he didn't ask for."

Selune nods in agreement. She's impressed that her daughter can see past her own grief; that she can feel compassion for the young king. The two combine their moon crystals and send the healing energy to the sleeping king.

A/N I don't usually leave stuff like this…but it was easier to divide the story this way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Beauty and the Beast…all disclaimers apply, I do not own Sailor Moon et al.

Five years pass and still no sign of the missing princess. As for King Darien, there has been no further sighting of the wizard Melvin and he has decided to allow his subjects to return to their island home if they so desire. The only condition is that if Melvin returns, they will leave the island at once, and for all time.

For her part, Selune is grateful the king is allowing his subjects to return. She knows that he has missed his tenants and especially his advisory team. She still hasn't given up hope of finding her granddaughter. It took almost two weeks to heal the warrior princesses Neptune and Uranus. She has taken it upon herself to relieve the time princess Pluto on occasion, so that Pluto too can search for Serena.

They did find Beryl and she was prosecuted to the full extent of Lunarian Law. Beryl was found guilty of trying to murder King Darien and Princess Serenity. According to Lunarian Law, she was encased in crystal and placed in a holding cell on the planet Saturn. Should she ever escape, then Saturn's own princess has been given full permission to call down the sentence of Death.

Back on Earth, King Darien's advisors have arrived and made certain that the island is still habitable for the tenants. King Darien had patrolled the island every evening, so even though things were a little overgrown in some areas, most were ready for the tenants to take up residency once again.

Amy puts the last of her medicinal herbs on the shelf, and turns to look at her husband. "Well, we're here and still no closer to finding the answer to helping Darien. How are we supposed to change him back?"

Jason shrugs and says, "Find someone that will love him for him. That's how most of the Beauty and the Beast fairytales stories go."

Amy looks at him in disbelief. "How can we get anyone to even look at him? He won't come out of hiding for anyone except us, and even then he's become such a recluse that we're not allowed to visit him that often."

Jason just shrugs again, "It's the only idea I can come up with. Maybe the others will have come up with a solution."

Amy continues putting things away waiting for the time to pass so that they can go meet the other advisors and find out what they've discovered over the past five years.

Kaleb and Mina have taken over their normal suite in the castle itself. Once there, they proceed to set up a new defensive grid that Kaleb had found while on the mainland. It will take some time, but none of the islanders have returned just yet, so they know that they can accomplish it with little hassle.

Mina groans as she sets the last of the power converters in place and looks at her husband who is just as tired. "Are we going to be able to prevent another incident? This isn't just a smoke and mirrors gig is it?"

Kaleb smiles at her frustration and shakes his head no. Their people have a particular gene in their body chemistry and the grid will alert ALL the advisors if anyone without the gene arrives. He no sooner finishes explaining and the alarm goes off. They immediately teleport to where the disruption is located, only to find Lita and Ned looking drastically confused. The two had just entered the gates when the alarm went off.

"Kaleb, what's going on here? I heard an alarm…Ned, Lita…you're back. Great I need to ask you about some things regarding a new astronomy tower for the school kids." Darien is in human form. It only lasts for a few hours and then only from noon until five in the afternoon. It was the only respite that Selune and Serenity could give him, but it has helped him live these past five years.

"Kaleb, turn that damn alarm off would you please?" The noise is deafening to even the hardest of hearing. To Darien's sensitive ears, it is nothing short of irritating.

"I'm sorry my liege, but there is an intruder at the castle." Kaleb has been searching the surrounding area and found nothing to make the alarm go off.

"Intr-- Ned he means Bunny." Lita's explanation draws some confused looks and she motions to an almost lifeless figure at her feet. "This is Bunny. We found her on the side of the road shortly after we left here. She's been badly hurt and hasn't spoken since she woke up."

Amy hurries over to look at the young woman. Jason isn't too far behind her. If someone has been beaten, they want to make sure she's okay. As they approach, the small figure seems to shrink into itself. Lita kneels down and whispers something into her ear. The young woman relaxes.

"She's extremely skittish. Will she be okay? Is there anything I can do? Kaleb shut that damn thing off already!" Darien almost snarls the last sentence. Kaleb hits a button on his belt and the alarm shuts off.

"We need to get her injected with the same gene that the rest of us have. Otherwise the alarm will go off every time she moves."

*******

Queen Serenity looks at the scene unfolding below her. King Darien is finally allowing his subjects to return to the island. She is relieved to find him still alive yet she wonders how much longer he can live. They managed to prevent his death five years ago, but now, the only that can prevent it is the complete transformation back to human and she knows that she cannot help him with that.

Deciding to help him however she can, she summons her faithful sailor senshi, Uranus, Pluto, Saturn and Neptune.

"I have decided to reopen negotiations with the earth. It was my daughter's dearest wish and I will honor it as best I can. I would like you four to help me arrange things. Uranus, will you and Neptune please go and talk to King Darien. Ask him if he would allow peace talks between our two peoples."

A/N -- as soon as I finish transcribing the rest of my notes, I'll have the rest of the story..


	5. Chapter 5

(_King Darien and the advisors talk_.)

Darien and his advisors head into the castle's main throne room. Once there, Ned and Lita huddle around their newest acquisition keeping the little blonde calm. Lita whispers descriptions of the advisors so that Bunny can accept them as friends and not adversaries.

"Amy and Jason are healers, they would like to make sure that you're healing the way you should be, will you accept their help?"

The blonde nods and shyly looks up into the faces of Darien and his other advisors. Darien kneels in front of her, extends his hand in friendship as he says, "Welcome to my home, I'm Darien. You'll have to forgive me, but I can't stay in this form very long. My five hours are almost up for today."

Kaleb stares at him and Darien explains.

"Just after you all left for the mainland, the Goddess Selune from the Moon Kingdom came here. She and her daughter Queen Serenity placed a healing over me and granted me five hours of humanity every day."

Amy and Zander nod when they hear that, it explains why Darien is still alive. They had half expected to find him dead due to the stress of the transformation. Knowing that the Moon's monarchy has helped their friend, their king, relieves some of the worry from their minds.

"Why did they bother to approach you though Darien? We haven't heard from the Moon Kingdom in over a millennium." Raye's inquiry raises other questions now too.

"They were hoping to find the youngest princess, Serena. She'd been kidnapped around the same time Melvin cursed me."

"That's not a coincidence." Ned mutters to no one in particular and Darien nods in agreement.

"From what Selune told me, Serena had planned on opening negotiations between the two kingdoms. She and some friends were making plans for a birthday ball and that's when she was taken."

Raye and Jason exchange looks, clearly wondering why the princess hadn't been found. Darien sighs as he tries to explain.

"Again, this is just from what I was told by Selune, somehow, the mental link that the Moon's monarchy share was broken or failed or something like that. I really don't understand it all."

"If she was taken off the moon and brought here, their mental link might not be able to find her. Their mental powers here could be weakened by the earth and her gravitational pulls." Ned looks at Lita, mentally asking her to keep an eye on Bunny while he heads to his observatory. Lita nods and Ned leaves.

Bunny watches him go with wide, almost scared blue eyes. Amy lightly touches her hand, bringing the blue gaze to her own. "He'll be okay, Bunny. He often finds things out in the observatory that none of us can find in here." She offers the blonde a shy smile and is rewarded with a small smile in return.

"Do you mind if I do a quick exam? I won't hurt you, I promise."

Again a shy nod, then a quick glance around the room. Amy stands up and offers to lead her to another room where no one else can see them. A look of panic crosses the blonde's face and Amy tells her that Lita can come too if she wishes. Bunny gives her a short nod and the three women head off.

While they are gone, Darien confers with the rest of his advisors. The alarm that Kaleb had installed goes off again. Jason puts a hand on Darien's arm, tells him that he'll investigate while Kaleb turns the alarm off again.

Jason returns with two young looking women. The taller of the two has short blonde hair and gunmetal blue eyes. She's dressed in blue jeans, tennis shoes and a light blue pullover. The other has naturally wavy dark hair and sea-green eyes and she's wearing a deep green dress with low heeled shoes. Both are wearing symbolic necklaces that reflect their home planets.

Jason introduces them, "Your Highness, may I present their Royal Highnesses, Princess Uranus and Princess Neptune."

Darien gives them a formal bow as he feels the effect of Melvin's spell take hold. He sighs and says "Sorry, about this."

The transformation takes less than ten seconds, yet everyone in the room can feel the hurt as it overtakes the young King. Once he's in the dragon/wolf form he sinks to the floor.

"How much longer?"

They all hide their grief at the tone. Five years of the transformation is taking its toll on the king. Uranus and Neptune almost forget their sovereign's request at the sight that has unfolded before them.

Uranus clears her throat, "We come with a request from the Moon Kingdom. In light of the circumstances that have befallen not only you but the last living Moon Princess, Queen Serenity would like to open peace negotiations between your two kingdoms."

Kaleb enters the room just then, and hears his liege's mental acceptance. "King Darien will accept on two conditions. The ball that Princess Serena wanted, he'd like to hold it here in her honor. He'd also like to talk to Queen Serenity prior to the ball if possible, to thank her for keeping him alive all these years."

Uranus blinks, not expecting such easy compliance. Neptune nods and pulls her away and the two teleport back to the Moon Kingdom.

Bunny, Amy and Lita all return then and Kaleb updates them on what had just happened. Lita beams at the thought of a ball and the cooking that she can be doing. Nothing cheers Lita quite so much as cooking, aside from helping Bunny that is.

Amy is watching the reactions of the others in the room. Then she looks at Bunny who is looking almost terrified. "It's okay, Bunny, you don't have to attend if you don't want to."

Lita kneels in front of the smaller girl, takes her hands and looks into the clear blue eyes. "Ned and I will not let anything happen to you. None of the people in this room will hurt you or allow you to be hurt again. If you want, you can stay in the kitchens with me and help me make those famous muffins that you have Ned panting after."

The small face smiles and Lita breathes a sigh of relief. They've come so far with Bunny and her trust issues. The fact that she's allowed Amy to treat her and she hasn't run away from any of the men in this room is an indicator of how far she's come.

A soft purring/growl emanates from the throne and they all look over to see the king sleeping. Bunny looks at Lita who explains what has happened. Bunny nods her eyes sad as she gently pads over to the king and puts a hand on his paw.

Lita holds her breath. Bunny has never made a move like this in the entire time she's known her. She looks over at Amy who is watching to see if she'll be needed. Raye too is surprised at Bunny's move.

Raye focuses her mental powers on Bunny and finds only compassion for the king emanating from the small girl's mind. Fascination is also there, and admiration as well. Raye decides to let things be; after all, in all the stories she's read, beauty had to be able to see beyond the beast in order to fall in love with him.

***

_A/N: Many apologies to all who've been waiting for an update. I have no reason for this other than...I was working on my other stories which is no real good reason at all. Thank you to all who do read and review and especially to Shana-- I thank you for caring enough to email and make sure I'm doing all right. Hopefully I'll be updating a little more quickly with this one. Tigyr. _


	6. Chapter 6

_Beauty and the Beast Chapter 6:_

_Raye decides to let things be; after all, in all the stories she's read, Beauty had to be able to see beyond the beast in order to fall in love with him. _

For his part Darien is shocked. No one, not even his advisors have attempted to approach him this closely since the day the curse was implemented. He watches the small blonde curious to see what her intentions are.

Kaleb and Jason try to step forward, but are stopped by their wives. Lita quickly explains that it's the first time in almost a year that Bunny has approached someone on her own.

Ned comes back into the room and smiles when he sees his little rabbit approaching the king. He's known for sometime now that her heart belongs to someone, even if her head doesn't know who that someone might be.

Bunny cautiously puts her hand on the king's paw, feeling the soft fur that covers it. She raises her eyes and sees King Darien looking down at her in wonder. She starts to move away when he gruffly says, "Wait. Please."

Bunny nods and waits for him to continue.

Darien carefully puts his other paw on top of her hand as he says, "Thank you."

Bunny gifts him with a brilliant smile as she daringly stands on her toes and kisses him on his furry cheek. The king sits back in his chair, unused to anyone touching him, no matter how briefly.

Bunny, scared by her own actions runs silently back to Lita. Lita puts her arms around the smaller woman as she tells her how proud she is of her.

"You'd make Sailor Moon proud, little rabbit." Ned's praising brings a flush to Bunny's cheeks.

"Sailor Moon?" Jason looks at Raye who shrugs. She's never heard of a sailor scout named Sailor Moon. They all turn to Ned and Lita. Lita explains.

"When we first found Bunny, or Ned's little rabbit, we needed a way to make her want to live. So Ned told her about Sailor Moon."

The others look at Ned, silently telling him to tell the story to them. Ned shakes his auburn curls out of his face as he sits on the stairs leading to the throne. The others all gather round him as he tells the story of a beautiful princess of the moon who is the last heir of the Moon Kingdom. She also has a secret identity of Sailor Moon defender of not only the moon but the beautiful planet Earth and its inhabitants.

Ned's story lasts for a good hour. By the time he's finished all of the others are entranced by the world that he's created Darien included.

"That's a powerful story Ned. How did you come up with it?"

"The stars told me about a princess of the moon who has been missing for five long years. No one has seen or heard from her since she was taken from the Moon Castle. She put up a great battle as did her two defenders who were there with her."

"Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune." Raye's thinking about the two soldiers who had stopped by that very afternoon; they'd both sported scars from injuries that had happened within the past few years.

Ned looks at the others in confusion and Jason remembers that the other man had been in his observatory when the sailor senshi had appeared. He quickly relates what the soldiers' request had been.

Ned nods as he contemplates what all they've learned in the past 24 hours. His eyes light on Bunny and he wonders briefly if it's possible that his little rabbit is indeed the Moon Princess.

Uranus and Neptune report back to Queen Serenity. The queen smiles at Darien's request to hold the ball on earth. When they tell her that he'd like to meet with her and thank her for her assistance in keeping him alive she knows that Serena had been right in trying to open the negotiations.

Serenity thanks the two warriors and heads into her private quarters. She knows that Selune will meet her there in a few minutes especially since Neptune and Uranus are back.

Selune enters and waits quietly while Serenity tells her what King Darien has requested. "I always knew that I liked that young man. He would have made a fine mate for Serena."

"He still could, Mother. We can't give up on either one of them, no matter how much time has passed. I would like to honor his request and then make one of my own and see if he'd be willing to host the ball on Serena's birthday. That's when the original was supposed to happen."

Selune gives her daughter a hug. They cling to each other for a few more moments then turn and attend the business at hand. Serenity calls Uranus and Neptune to attend her once again and tells them of her request.

"Please tell King Darien that I would be honored to meet him and have no problem holding the ball at his estate. I would however ask that we hold the ball on Serena's birthday, June 30, in a sort of memoriam of my daughter's courage."

The two warriors nod their heads and turn to go.

"Uranus? Neptune? Thank you for being her friends."

Serenity leaves the room and two silent friends reaffirm their vow to find their lost princess.

A/N: I will try to update this particular story at least once a week if possible. I might need some reminders and encouragement though…lol. Thank you to all who are reading it is greatly appreciated. And remember Sailor Moon says, "Keep Reviewing!"


	7. Chapter 7

Sailor Moon Chpt 7…

As Uranus and Neptune make plans to meet once again with King Darien, Pluto steps down from the gates of time to commune with Selune and Serenity.

"I still find no sign of Princess Serena; I have however been able to ascertain that she is still alive. We can't find her because she's not on the moon. I believe that once Uranus and Neptune finish their mission with King Darien, the three of us might be able to walk the lands of Earth and find our beloved princess."

The two remaining Moon sovereigns nod their heads at Pluto's words. Selune offers to take Pluto's place at the gates but Pluto shakes her head no.

"I will remain there until Uranus and Neptune call for me. I would not have left today, but you needed to know that she is still alive and we will find her. There is one other thing that may help. Awaken the inner senshi and their guardians. With their combined powers it may be possible to find our princess and bring her home."

The two queens look at each other, not knowing what she's referring to. Pluto sighs as she explains.

"Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus are all on Earth. They have no memory of ever being senshi. They do however all retain skills from when they were senshi."

"Do you know where they are? How we can contact them?" Serenity is willing to do almost anything to get her daughter back by this point.

"Actually, you'll see them at the ball. They are King Darien's advisors and guardians. As for contacting them, I brought a couple of friends along to help with that."

Two cats, one pure black the other untarnished white, both with crescent moons in their foreheads step forward.

"Luna, Artemis, you're still alive. We thought you dead many years ago." Serenity gathers the two into her arms.

"As you can see, the rumors of our deaths are greatly exaggerated. How can we help our beloved Queen?" Artemis rubs his white head against Serenity as Luna looks around the room.

"Where is Serena? I would have expected to see her by now."

Luna's question brings both cats a brief, hard hug and they are put on the floor.

"Serena was stolen from us five years ago. We've tried in vain to find her all this time and are hoping that maybe with your help we can finally bring her home."

Both cats look up at her, not knowing what or rather how they can help.

"Pluto brought you here to revive the memories of some old friends. Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter are on Earth. None of them have their memories of being a sailor senshi."

The cats look at each other, sorrow filling their eyes. Suddenly Artemis looks up at Serenity. "You said that Sailor Mars is there too? She can't be, she was killed trying to keep us from our imprisonment."

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to get something written as I work all weekend. Remember Sailor Moon says, "Keep Reviewing!"


	8. Chapter 8

Sailor Moon Chpt 8

Dead silence echoes throughout the room as Artemis's words sink in. The two moon monarchs look at each other wondering just who is watching over King Darien if Raye, Princess of Mars is truly dead. That leads to speculation as to who her consort is. Sighing with a deep unease, Selune summons Uranus, Pluto and Neptune.

The three warriors respond within record time, exclaiming their joy at seeing the two cats. When they hear Artemis's story, they look at one another then at the others in the room.

Uranus starts pacing as she wonders just what has happened to her beloved princess. Pluto picks up Artemis and has him tell them in detail what had happened.

"We had just finished inspecting the planet Saturn, since the princess is currently in sleep mode. We were getting ready to return in the planet's teleporter when the castle alarms went off.

"All the guards were dispatched to ward off the intruders. This was a ruse and we watched in horror as all the Saturnians were slaughtered. The teleporter activated behind us; Sailor Mars and Guardian Zander stepped through.

"Even her celestial fire couldn't help her. She was outnumbered 15 to one at any given time, and they just kept coming. Eventually they overpowered her, and beat her until there was nothing left. As for Zander, he too put up a fight. The last act of desecration committed upon the bodies was when they were drawn and quartered."

Both cats shake their heads in an effort to get the final screams out of their memories. Serenity stares at the two felines, wondering now how to save the man she considers her son. If two imposters have managed to infiltrate the king's domain, how many others are there? What, if anything does this have to do with Serena's kidnapping?

###

Back on Earth, Darien is once again attempting to catch a nap. He's leaned back in his chair, the only place that is comfortable enough for him to get any rest these days, due to the wings on his back and claws on his feet.

Ned takes Lita and Bunny back to their quarters. For some reason, he's edgy today and wants to know that his family is safe.

Kaleb and Mina are on edge too. The older couple has noticed that for some reason Raye is now in the same quarters as Zander and Amy is lodging with Jason. Age old instincts are taking over and they silently watch the other two couples for signs of distress.

Amy sighs as she sits on the bed, waiting further instructions. Jason kneels in front of her, silently asking her if she's feeling okay. She nods knowing that the man is not her enemy and wondering just when Zander and Raye had turned on them.

Jason rubs her hands knowing the fear that is coursing through her body. He's not sure when exactly his wife and Amy's husband had become the evil souls that they are now, but he's glad that he's not alone in the silent fight for survival.

He stands up and sits beside her on the bed as they wait for their next set of instructions. Neither notices that they are still holding hands.

###

Raye looks at her newest lover and acquisition. Zander has been easy to manipulate and fool into thinking that he's the only man in her life now. Amy and Jason are just tools in her game to get that which she wants most…King Darien.

###

Uranus looks at Neptune, both warriors now worried about the king. They stand up and pay their respects to Selune and Serenity then head to the rooms that they share when they visit the moon. They know that Pluto will join them as soon as she's able to.

Uranus paces as they wait for the Princess of Time and Space. With this newest development, Pluto has received permission to open the gates of time and view what has transpired in the last five years regarding the guardians of King Darien.

Pluto enters the room and with her, a young woman. The younger woman has black hair with purple highlights and is carrying the weapon of destruction…the silence glaive.

Uranus pales as she sees the weapon in Saturn's hands. Beside her, Neptune inhales sharply and they both turn to Pluto for an explanation.

"Beryl escaped the crystal and has taken on the guise of Raye, former princess of Mars. We suspect that she is the one behind all the attacks. Not just the one on Darien, but also the one on Serena and the planet Saturn."

The younger woman nods in sorrow; she'd been saved due to being hidden while she slept, otherwise they'd have killed her too.

"The attack was meant to kill you. So that you wouldn't be able to carryout the death sentence once the Lunarians realized that Beryl escaped her imprisonment and is alive." Uranus is pounding her left fist into her other hand as she thinks out loud.

"How could she have escaped the crystals powers?" Neptune's question is met with silence then a quiet voice from the doorway replies.

"There was a lunar eclipse two years ago; it weakens our powers. We went to earth to make sure that Darien could survive during that time as it took place at night and lasted several hours. The spell that he's under is extremely powerful and we wanted to make sure that the eclipse wouldn't weaken the counter-spell that we have on him."

Serenity is standing there, sorrow in her blue eyes as she looks at the young women standing before her.

"Forgive me, Saturn. Your people are no more due to my mistake."

"No Your Highness, my people are dead due to the evil that is currently threatening King Darien. If we want to save him and the ones closest to him, we need to put our sorrow away and plan our attack."

Neptune looks at the others and says, "Uranus and I have an open invitation to the kingdom and we are in the middle of negotiations. We can go and get a feel for what is going on, see if we can alert some of the others without raising suspicions."

Serenity nods her approval and the two warriors leave, this time with a set mission in mind: to find out who in King Darien's court can be trusted and who is the ultimate enemy.

Luna steps closer to Selune, one last sad item to deliver to her sovereign ruler. Raye's planet pen, the one that gave her the powers of Sailor Mars, is gently rolled to lie for the last time at Selune's feet.

A/N: Sorry for the delay and the mix-up earlier. Hope to have the next chapter up by next weekend. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing.


	9. Chapter 9

Sailor Moon Chapter 9

_Luna steps closer to Selune, one last sad item to deliver to her sovereign ruler. Raye's planet pen, the one that gave her the powers of Sailor Mars, is gently rolled to lie for the last time at Selune's feet. _

Uranus and Neptune enter Darien's court and look around for the traitor. There's no immediate sign of Raye or Zander and for now, Darien is alone. He had finally fallen asleep when he sensed the arrival of the two warriors.

"Uranus, Neptune, I didn't think we'd see you back so soon."

"My apologies, Your Highness, for interrupting your sleep. We've had some disturbing news and wanted to discuss it with you in private quarters if at all possible."

Darien can tell by the look on their faces that something devastating has happened. He nods and gets to his feet. He thinks for a few seconds then says, "Do you two mind a quick ride? I can take us someplace that we won't be disturbed."

Neptune is a little frightened but Uranus is thrilled. She's always been one with wind beneath her feet; the chance to experience flight on a dragon just exhilarates her.

Darien escorts them out to the courtyard and has them mount. He gives them instructions on how to maintain their balance and not to pull on his wings.

Unknown to the threesome, a small blonde girl is watching in muted awe as they take to the sky. Bunny heads back inside and starts making supper. Every now and then she wipes a hand over her forehead and for a fraction of a second a shadow appears. The shadow of a crescent moon.

Lita and Ned watch as their charge gains confidence with her cooking skills. Ned in particular is pleased as he knows that she feels frustrated by not being able to speak. He's told her many times that when it's vitally necessary for her to speak she will. In the meantime, the stars have told him something disturbing. There is a traitor in their midst and he needs to find out who it is.

Mina and Kaleb have been comparing notes in regards to their friends. Ned and Lita appear to be the same friendly, caring compassionate couple that they've always been. The addition of Bunny is a bit of a surprise, but then again, they have always wanted children and Bunny is a step in that direction. The patience both Ned and Lita have with the little blonde is evidence that they are ready for a child in their life.

Amy seems the same too; slightly more reserved than either of them like to see the friendly herbalist but she's still the same Amy.

Jason too is oddly reserved. The fact that he's sticking close to Amy when he's been in love with Raye for years is extremely unusual.

Then there's Zander. The man is acting like Amy doesn't exist when the two were childhood sweethearts. As for Raye, Mina can't put her finger on just what is wrong aside from the fact that she's fawning all over Zander.

A solid knocking at their door brings Kaleb to his feet and he asks who it is before allowing Ned entrance.

"You sense the traitors too." He makes the question a statement when he sees the looks on their faces. Kaleb closes the door behind him and asks him for his observations.

_A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, I've been out sick and wanted to come up with something for my readers. Hope to have a new chapter next weekend. Tigyr._


	10. Chapter 10

Beauty and the Beast—Chapter 10

_A solid knocking at their door brings Kaleb to his feet and he asks who it is before allowing Ned entrance._

_"You sense the traitors too." He makes the question a statement when he sees the looks on their faces. Kaleb closes the door behind him and asks him for his observations._

None of them are quite sure what is going on. They have decided to watch their former colleagues and keep each other informed as to any suspicious behavior. Ned tells the other two of his suspicions that his little rabbit might be the missing moon princess.

"It's almost too coincidental that she ends up on earth around the same time that Lita and I are traveling through that particular stretch of land."

Mina looks at him and asks him just how long Bunny has been under his care.

"Almost five years now."

He looks at their astounded faces and shrugs. "We had no clue at the time that the princess was missing. Darien was the only one that knew."

Kaleb stares at him in wonder. "Why did you never contact the rest of us?"

Ned shrugs, then says, "I just had a feeling that I needed to protect her. I didn't know from what, or from who, but she needed saving. Lita agreed with me and after what happened to Darien, we were a little afraid to trust anyone. I'm sorry to admit that, but it's the truth."

Mina nods in silent agreement. She and Kaleb had stayed in hiding for almost a year after Darien sent them away. Kaleb listens to his friend, an ugly idea forming in his mind. Before he can formulate a statement, there's yet another knock on the door.

"Kaleb, it's Darien, may I come in?"

Mina looks through the keyhole and lets him in, along with Uranus and Neptune. Mina then locks the door behind them. The sailor warriors know that something has happened to make these three so wary.

"I'm sorry my liege. We aren't trying to alarm anyone, but we have reason to believe there's a traitor in the castle."

"More than one," growls Uranus as she paces in front of the door.

Darien stands against a far wall, watching his three advisors. "It's Raye and Zander isn't it?"

"We're not 100% positive, but we think so." Kaleb tells him of the observations they've made so far. Amy and Jason almost too scared to leave each other's side; Raye and Zander behaving like newlyweds.

Darien lets out a deep breath. "From what Uranus and Neptune have told me, we have reason to believe that Raye was killed and in her place is that bitch Beryl. I'm not totally sure, but it could be that the mage, Melvin, is her cohort."

Mina pales at the implication that her friends are dead. Kaleb places an arm around her, steadying her until the color returns to her face. Mina looks at the sailor warriors.

"Do you have any proof of her death?"

Neptune turns her mirror so that the others can see battle on Saturn. When they get to the point that Raye and Zander are bound, Mina turns her head away; Ned and Kaleb keep watching, unable prevent themselves from doing otherwise.

When it's over, both men are slightly green-tinged around the face. Ned swallows hard before saying, "We might have some better news."

Darien and the two warriors look at him and he continues.

"We believe that we may know the whereabouts of the moon princess."

Uranus whips around so fast, none of them see her move. She's in front of Ned and standing toe to toe with him, demanding that he tell her where her friend is.

"Until the traitors are gone, I'd rather not. Just know that she's safe as well as protected."

Uranus is watching his eyes. He knows exactly where Serena is, she can tell it. Rather than call him on it, she holds her tongue. She can always have Pluto or Neptune help her to ascertain the truth. For now she needs to inform her queen that the princess is alive.

Back in the castle, Beryl is dancing with Zander. In her mind she has totally fooled King Darien and the rest of the advisors into thinking that she is the former princess of Mars. For his part, Melvin, the former mage that put Darien into his current state of health, is deliriously happy. He has the woman that he's loved for years in his arms and his bed. He doesn't realize the deadly danger that's still in store for him.

A/N: Thank you to all who read and especially those who review...this story is continuing at a slower pace, but I will get it finished eventually. ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

Beauty and the Beast—Chapter 11

Darien and the others in Kaleb's room continue talking for several hours. They decide the best way to draw out the traitors would be during the ball.

Uranus looks at Darien and says, "Would I be out of line asking to become part of the guards for that time period? I know that it used to be common practice to hire on more help for a special occasion. This way I can be here if anything goes wrong."

Darien looks into the gunmetal blue gaze and knows that his refusal would just be ignored. He nods and tells Kaleb to bring her up to date regarding his guard training protocols.

"How do we get Amy and Jason out of harms way?" Mina's question brings frowns to everyone's faces.

Neptune looks around the room and says "I could come in as part of the entertainment. I do have a small twinge in my wrist every now and then; I could ask to see a healer. I could tell at least one of them to be on alert."

Kaleb nods his approval. "That's a good idea. That will bring most of us into the castle at the same time."

Darien frowns, "Is that such a good thing? Having all of us in here could be a disaster if either of them attempts anything."

Ned looks at his liege lord, totally understanding Darien's reluctance for anyone else to be cursed the way he has. "Unfortunately if we are not there, they will suspect something, my king. It is to be expected that Lita and Amy both would stay in the kitchens but all of the men need to be in circulation. We always have been when we've entertained in the past."

"Darien, we all are cognizant now of who she is and the powers she seems to possess. Because of this, she may not think that we are aware of her. Even Raye, when she was alive had that cockiness in her; there were times when Lita and I could walk into her rooms and she'd never know we were there. She could be that self-centered."

Mina's words do nothing to assuage the fear that Darien has. For five long years he's had this curse laid upon him. He really doesn't want anyone else to have to suffer the pain he feels when he undergoes the transformation. The panic when his heart first realized that he wasn't entirely human anymore.

Uranus looks at the king, knowing that he needs some reassurance that he's doing the right thing. "We have a backup in place if anything goes wrong. Sailor Saturn has awakened, and will strike if she's needed to."

Neptune turns to the others and says, "We have one more thing we need to do before we go. Luna? Artemis? Please show yourselves now."

The two cats leap down from Darien's shoulders. In his current form, he never even felt their slight weight.

"Our apologies for the abrupt introduction Your Highness, I am Luna and my companion here is Artemis. We have gifts of a sort for some of your friends here."

"What kind of gifts?" Kaleb is instantly suspicious and so is Mina.

Luna steps closer. "We bring the planet pens and coins. These will endow you with the powers that are latent to your home worlds."

"But we're all natives of Earth."

Ned shakes his head even as Luna responds to Mina's claim.

"No my dear you are not. You are a descendant of the planet Venus; so is Kaleb. Raye was indeed the princess of Mars and Zander was her consort."

"You mean Raye and Jason?"

"No I do not. On the planet Mars, the princess married prince Zander."

Darien raises his voice above the confused chatter.

"Are they going to know how to use these things within a three day time period? June 30 is just three days away. Can you train them up in that amount of time without arousing suspicions? Or is this going to create so much chaos that we're better off waiting until after the ball to worry about planet powers?"

Artemis opens his mouth and shuts it again, seeing the logic in the king's words. Luna too is silent. She can see that with at least two of the others out of the room getting the planet pens to them is almost out of the question.

"You are right my liege. We need to concentrate on the task at hand. With Amy almost a slave right now, we'd put her in danger if she or any of us got caught with these things. They have never been a part of our wardrobe and as such would create suspicion."

Ned's calm voice does much to assuage Darien's mind. This is yet another reason he likes the astronomer; the calming effect he has when Darien needs it most.

Uranus and Neptune prepare to leave. Mina calls out just before they teleport.

"Wait, please? I…do either of you have common names like we do?"

Neptune smiles and replies, "My name is Michelle and Heather hates her real name."

"Welcome both of you to Castle Silvaro. I'm Mina and I'll introduce you to Lita, Amy and Bunny when you return."

"Bunny?" both soldiers smile sadly at the nickname; that's what they'd called Serena when she'd been talking about negotiations.

By now the men have left to attend separate duties in the castle and only the women are left. Mina tells them the story that Ned had related just a few days before. Uranus's eyes flash dark blue at the thought of someone hurting her friend. Neptune turns to her mirror, attempting to see what happened to their princess and find out if the Bunny in the kitchen is their young friend.

"You two should leave before you're discovered. Heather, we'll expect to see you at dawn for training exercises. Michelle, I'll be waiting to hear you play."

Mina leaves and the two sailor soldiers lean on each other for a full minute before teleporting to the moon and Queen Serenity.

Both Queen Serenity and Selune are ecstatic to think that Serena is still alive. Michelle cautions them, "I still haven't found anything to identify her as our friend. Heather and I are going undercover for the next few days. I promise you that if this Bunny is Serena we will bring her home."

Serenity looks at Heather who is pacing in front of the throne. "What's wrong Uranus?"

Guilt, remorse, and deep anger fill Heather, Princess of Uranus as she replies.

"She was hurt and no one helped her until those two came along. From what they indicated she was almost dead when Ned and Lita found her. She may never remember who she is."

Serenity steps down from her throne and gently puts an arm around the young woman. Heather stiffens at the contact, but relaxes and for the first time in years, cries into Serenity's shoulder.

"Why couldn't I save her?"

"You did save her; you're the reason Ned and Lita found her." the voice isn't that of Serenity.

Pluto is there and so is Saturn. Heather wipes her eyes as she turns to face them. "What are you saying?"

"When you knew that she was in danger and couldn't help her, you encased her in a wind tunnel. She stayed protected in that until the day that Ned and Lita found her." She smiles at the realization that crosses the other faces and nods, "We have been able to ascertain that Serena is the young woman that Ned calls Bunny."


	12. Chapter 12

Well, I noticed a few inconsistencies that no one called me on, but I will address them in this chapter.

_She smiles at the realization that crosses the other faces and nods, "We have been able to ascertain that Serena is the young woman that Ned calls Bunny." _

Beauty and the Beast Chapter 12

Uranus is confused. She'd been told that Bunny had been injured prior to Ned and Lita finding her. Pluto nods and has them all sit down.

"The buffeting of the wind tunnel could be part of her injuries but I'm thinking that what really happened and time is a bit distorted during all that, but I think that they started trying to hurt Serena and your wind tunnel came to her rescue." Pluto looks to Serenity for assistance in making Uranus understand.

"It makes sense Heather. You were passed out when Mother and I first found you. If you were injured and then tried to save Serena, it could be why you two took so long to heal. You were mentally connected to Serena for a long time. By putting her in the tunnel you closed off that connection." Serenity's logic is sound and all the others nod in agreement.

"So what do we do to get her back?" the warrior princess is back and so is her growl.

"What you are doing. Stay with King Darien; learn what you can of our enemy and protect Serena if you can. You two have a perfect cover ahead of you. All I ask is that you stay safe and bring our princess home."

Uranus and Neptune, now known as Heather and Michelle head back to Earth and Castle Silvaro. Michelle has her violin in hand and immediately is granted an audience with King Darien. Hearing the sweet sound emanating from the stringed instrument, Darien is surprised that he hasn't heard of Michelle's musical prowess before that day.

"I usually travel with a companion my liege. We are temporarily separated due to a family emergency. I felt it wise to continue the tour so as not to disappoint all of our fans. My companion will join us if she is able to."

Darien nods at her and motions for Raye/Beryl to escort the musician to her new quarters.

Outside, Kaleb greets his newest guard contingent, only acknowledging Heather with the merest of grunts as he watches Lita put the newcomers through their paces. Several hours pass and Lita comes over to Kaleb's side giving him an update on the new recruits.

"I wouldn't mind keeping Heather on after the ball. She's got some tight moves that we could easily learn and implement into our own training."

Kaleb looks at his second in command, and sees that she's serious. He nods his agreement and they both watch Heather as she sweeps the feet out from under her current partner. The man she's working with curses and attempts to swing at her, but Heather blocks it before felling him with a gentle side kick to the knee.

Lita frowns as she realizes that Heather is pulling her punches and looks up at Kaleb to see if he's noticed that as well. The Captain of the Guard strides forward and asks Heather if he can have a word with her.

"Why are you pulling your punches?"

"These men are not my enemies and my signature moves would out me to our enemies. So for now, I bumble a bit before striking."

Kaleb nods and sends her back to the others. He casually tells Lita what he's learned and her green eyes brighten as she realizes what an opportunity she actually has in front of her. A chance to spar with someone who won't run the moment she walks up. Kaleb sighs watching as she heads over to Heather.

"I'll spar with you, providing you go easy on me."

Heather shakes her head at the teasing glint in Lita's eyes. "You could get us all killed this way."

"Not if you're still pulling punches." With that, Lita throws her first combination of kicks and punches. Heather has little choice but to retaliate or get knocked down. Still while neither of them go at it full force, they both get what they've wanted; a decent workout.

Heather finally holds her hands up forcing Lita to back down. Lita takes a few breaths before stating.

"Thank you, I needed that. It feels good to be this sweaty again. None of the guys here will spar with me."

"Really?"

"Aside from Kaleb and Mina on occasion. Darien used to join us when he had time, but now he's almost afraid to join in. He doesn't want to hurt any of us while he's in that form."

Heather nods as she wipes her face with a towel. Draping the towel around her neck she follows Lita to the showers enjoying the easy camaraderie.

Later that afternoon:

Ned whistles as he heads towards the castle infirmary. He hadn't been lying when he said that his wrist pains him on occasion. The twinges of pain come usually after an all night session of staring at the stars, or sparring in bed with Lita. The love of his life doesn't always know her own strength and he's not going to put a guilt trip on her due to an old injury that she had nothing to do with.

That particular injury had come shortly after he'd met Darien for the first time down in the lists. The newly crowned king had thrown Ned across the courtyard after an extremely long workout session. Darien had apologized but Ned's wrist hasn't been the same since.

Sauntering into the room, he smiles at his little rabbit who is rolling bandages for Amy. Her soft blue eyes smile back at him and she rushes forward to give him a hug. Ned returns the hug then asks her where Amy has gone to.

Bunny leads him into yet another part of the infirmary. Amy is just reaching for a bottle of herbs when they walk in. Ned watches in fascination as she takes the herbs and puts them into a mortar and pestle to start grinding them. A slight rustle brings her attention to the duo at the doorway.

"Ned, what can I help you with?"

Ned holds out his sore wrist and Amy smiles. "You and your wrist; seriously Ned, you need to take it easy or you'll end up with a break and not just a sprain."

While they're chatting, Ned surreptitiously tells Amy that they know something is going on and are planning on a surprise during the ball. Amy just nods as she continues to wrap Ned's wrist. She taps him lightly and uses a finger along his wrist to point to Bunny, discretely asking him how to provide for her safety.

"Darien is honoring the Moon Kingdom's request for the ball. My little rabbit, is shy in big crowds and that was my other reason for coming here today. I wanted to know if you would mind her staying or helping here whenever Lita doesn't need her assistance. "

"I can always use a new apprentice Ned. You married my last one as I recall."

She smiles as she says it, and Ned laughs. He then leaves the room, satisfied that now Amy knows what is going on and that his little rabbit will have some protection during the ball.

_A/N: Thank you, to all who are still reading…we're not finished with this one yet, still have a ball to get through as well as a battle…just not sure which one is coming first…thanks again for your patience while I finish up other projects, Tigyr. _


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: sorry for the long delay in updating…

Bunny lets Ned and Amy talk, wandering the halls of the palace until she comes to the throne room. Darien is once again sleeping in his chair, one of the few places where he actually gets any rest with the wings on his back. Bunny inches closer, not wanting to wake the king yet curious about the man/beast just the same.

Darien can tell when someone enters the room. The soft breathing tells him that it's not one of his advisors as he knows all of their breathing patterns. The cautious pitter-pat across the floor makes him slowly open his eyes, not wanting his intruder to know that he's awake. Seeing the small girl that Ned calls Bunny coming towards him, Darien lets his eyes droop closed again, somehow knowing that the blonde means him no harm.

A soft touch on his paw brings his eyes open again and Darien has to admit that the girl is beautiful. Darien can see a question in her eyes and asks her what she wants to know. Bunny touches his fur, then the fine flesh that is on his wings and he knows that she's asking if it causes him pain.

"Only when I have to transform from human to this one…it's easier when I go from this one to human for some reason."

Darien sits up and Bunny takes a reflexive step back before coming forward again with an abject apology reflecting in her eyes.

"It's alright; I understand that I'm not very handsome in this form. I'm just surprised that you want to be near me while in this form."

Bunny thinks back to when she'd watched him flying with Uranus and Neptune and a wistful expression crosses her face. Darien watches her, wondering what brings that particular look of longing to her face. When she lightly touches his wings again, Darien asks her if she'd like to fly with him.

The shy look of delight followed by a quick excited nod tells Darien that he'd guessed her request correctly. He offers his arm and she places her hand upon it. Once they're out on the balcony, Darien instructs her on how to sit so that she won't pull on his wings.

Ned and Amy watch in silence as the lonely king takes flight with his precious cargo. Amy's dabbing at her eyes and Ned has to admit that his own are slightly misty. They walk back to the infirmary and Amy reassures Ned that she'll have plenty of bandages as well as syrup of ipecac in case the ball gets too rambunctious.

Ned walks down the hall in a half daze, unable to believe that his little rabbit is finally trusting someone enough to spend time with them. He expected her to want to spend time with Amy; she's another female. The fact that Bunny is gravitating towards the king just isn't something he had expected.

Lita can sense her husband's disbelief and calls one of the other men to take over training while she confers with the other advisors.

Kaleb, Jason and Mina meet up with Lita in the main corridor. "Follow me." is all Lita says and runs down to her quarters to find out what is going on with her beloved husband. In all the years they've been together, Lita has never known Ned's mind to be this…unsettled. They enter the room and Mina locks it behind her as they try to find out what is going on.

"Bunny, she…she…Darien took her out for a flight."

That surprises all of the others as the only other time Darien had taken anyone for a ride, it had been Uranus and Neptune so that he could fill them in on what had happened. For him to voluntarily offer anyone a ride is almost unheard of.

Hope for their beloved king slowly starts blooming in the hearts of the advisors. They had almost given up on that particular emotion especially where Darien is concerned just due to the seriousness of his condition. Mina and Lita openly cry while the men pretend not to do so.

Mina looks up fear in her eyes as she realizes that the little blonde could now be in danger from Raye and Zander. Ned and Lita tell the others of their plan to keep Bunny in either the kitchen or the infirmary for most of the ball.

"If she were to put in an appearance, I do not think she would stay too long. For all that she is starting to trust Darien, she still has a lot of fear when it comes to crowds." Ned's logic is met with nods from the others.

"Besides, if we are correct and Bunny is the Moon Princess, I do not think that anyone would get past Uranus and Neptune. Those two are yet another force to be reckoned with, even if they don't look the part." Lita's referring to the sparring she's been doing with Uranus.

Meanwhile near a deserted cave on King Darien's island, the king comes in for a landing. Bunny instinctively knows just when to tighten her grip so that she won't fall off and then Darien kneels down so that she can climb down.

Bunny watches in awe as Darien undergoes the "easy" transformation process. Being this close to him, she can tell that it still hurts but due to the muscles being recently used, they aren't as badly affected. Bunny sighs and wonders how to convey the message to Darien without both of them getting frustrated in the process.

Darien taps her arm and indicates that she needs to follow him. He holds out his hand to her and she unhesitatingly places her hand in his. As he starts to head into the cave, Bunny balks a bit, but Darien sits her down outside the cave. He tells her to wait for him while he walks inside and soon he's back with some dried fruits and a flask of water.

Bunny smiles her thanks for the small snack and sips sparingly from the flask, not wanting to deprive Darien of the nourishing drink.

"I realize that you don't know why you can't speak, and that it is frustrating for you, but I've been told that I'm fairly good at reading. Not just pictures but real words too."

Darien's faint teasing brings Bunny's eyes up to his. She hadn't realized that she was drawing in the sand. She gives another shy smile and then beckons him over. She tells him about her observation while he was transforming and he marvels that he hadn't thought of it before now.

Darien's looking at the picture that she'd been drawing in the sand before he'd interrupted her. It's of a castle that has a crescent moon on one of the top spires.

Bunny taps his arm and he reads, "I see that in my dreams at night."

"Do you know what it is?"

She shakes her head no and Darien sighs. He sits back in the sand wondering if he should even attempt explaining to her that his advisors believe her to be the lost princess of the moon. Before he can do anything more, Bunny crawls over and places her head in his lap, almost instantly falling asleep.

Darien is surprised and slightly amused. He's never had anyone express this level of trust in him prior to today. For this scared and scarred young woman to do so, warms his soul in ways that the sun never will. He runs his hands lightly over her hair, wondering if he should move her into the cave. He knows that it's low tide for a few hours yet, and that he should be transforming just before the tides start to change.

Darien does move a little closer to the cave though so that he can protect Bunny from the sun's rays. Having the pale complexion that she does, he knows that she'll be susceptible to burning and lays her down on the sand just long enough to check his supplies for any kind of protection.

The only thing he can find is a tarp and some poles. He fastens the tarp to the poles and is soon lying underneath it with Bunny cradled in his arms. Exhaustion soon overtakes him and he falls asleep still holding Bunny close while he caresses her hair.

The little blonde isn't sure at first what it is that wakes her. She feels warm and oddly safe while listening to a soft thump, thump thump. She knows that the heavy weight of Darien's hand is across her waist; not in an effort to pin her down but to keep her close in an effort of protection while they both sleep.

Opening her eyes she stares in horror at the waves that are almost upon them. She tries to shake Darien awake but he doesn't respond and she can tell that his body is getting ready to transform, putting him in even more danger as he could drown before the transformation is complete. Unknown to Bunny the crescent moon sigil starts glowing on her forehead and for the first time in five years she screams.

"Darien!"

A/N: Darn…what next? Will Bunny be loud enough to be heard? Will anyone see the crescent moon or even feel it activate? Stay tuned…and remember Sailor Moon says reviews are awesome ^_^


	14. Chapter 14

Sailor Moon Chpt 14

He never knew what woke him: whether it was the sound of the waves heading in to shore, his own transformation beginning to make itself known or the brilliant flash of golden light when Bunny screamed his name. Darien came fully awake in an instant and groaned as his transformation overtook him. He gave Bunny an apologetic smile as his body gave in to the beast taking it's place.

Bunny stands there, tears streaming down her face. She's not afraid; not anymore. This time she's feeling the pain that he's going through as the muscles stretch beyond ordinary human limits to become the dragon/wolf once more. Darien pants slightly as the pain lessens and he sees his human companion staring at him with compassion and sorrow in her expressive blue eyes.

"My apologies…I had intended to wake up before the tides came. I did not mean to panic you."

"I…I …did…not mean… to scream in… your ear. I am sorry."

Bunny hides her head and Darien carefully places a paw under her chin. He sees the tears running down her face and correctly interprets the panic and fear that she'd felt when she hadn't been able to waken him.

"Don't be sorry for saving someone else's life. Although, I do have one question; do Ned and Lita know you can scream that loud?"

His gentle teasing brings a small giggle to her lips and she shakes her head as she climbs onto his back. Darien flies towards the castle then takes a detour taking her to yet another cave, this one higher up in the mountains. Bunny is thrilled with the flight and the wonderful sensation of the wind in her hair.

"You are not afraid?"

"No, I love flying. You…there's so much freedom in it." she leans over his neck and gives him a gentle hug.

"What's that for, Miss Bunny?"

"For today…just…for allowing me to come with you."

He lands and she slides off his back, coming around to sit between his front paws. He leans his head forward and she caresses his muzzle. He sighs as she hits the one spot that he's never able to scratch without injury to himself.

"That feels wonderful, thank you."

"You're welcome. How…how long have you been this way?"

"Almost a full five years now; if not for the intervention of the Moon's monarchy, I'd have died a long time ago."

Bunny says nothing as she contemplates what he must have been going through this past half decade. Darien drops his head down on her shoulder and he sighs as she runs her hands over his head and ears. Bunny leans her face against his and Darien almost jumps, barely able to believe that someone is this close to him and isn't scared or intimidated by his features.

Bunny felt his reaction and knows immediately why. Silent tears run down her face at the agony Darien has been going through. Not just the physical agony, but the mental and emotional anguish as well. The fear that he might hurt his tenants or worse his friends.

"Darien? Can't you find a cure for this curse?"

"There is no known cure, Miss Bunny. I have done immense research and the only cure is a long shot."

"That long shot being?"

"True love's first kiss; with the five hour restriction however, it is difficult to find anyone."

"I am sorry Darien. I wish I could help you."

"As do I Miss Bunny, as do I."

They sit in a companionable silence for several more minutes then Darien turns his head and nuzzles her cheek.

"Thank you Miss Bunny."

"For what?"

"For not being afraid to touch me. Not even my counselors have tried to get near enough to do that. Well, let me amend that statement, they try but they are always a bit afraid of the wolf within."

"You are still a gentle man Darien, regardless of the curse upon your features. I thought Miss Amy would have told you that by now."

"She might have, if I had given any of them a chance to do so."

"How do you mean?"

Darien sighs and Bunny puts a hand under his muzzle, letting him look into her eyes. "You were concerned for their welfare and sent them away before they could do more than ascertain that you were still inside this façade. I'm right aren't I?"

Darien nods and Bunny gives him a hug. "You care about people. Don't apologize for that Darien. I would however apologize to the others for not letting them try to help you sooner."

"I can't now, not if Beryl actually has killed Raye. God! Why?"

"We can find that out later. For now, let's go prepare for a ball my liege."

Bunny stands up and dusts her hands off on her jeans. Darien stares at her, wondering at the sudden protective surge that courses through his veins. For a brief second he can almost envision her dressed in a long white gown, long blonde hair in two equally long ponytails, diamonds…no… moonstones gracing her throat and wrists. A soft touch brings his gaze back to hers.

He thinks for a few more seconds then suggests that she not reveal her ability to communicate just yet. "We might you to be an element of surprise. One that Beryl for all her deviousness will not be expecting."

"Not even Lita or Ned?"

Darien shakes his head. "If they know, they might not react the way I'll need them to. Please Bunny, trust me on this."

The sincerity is there for anyone to see. Bunny nods slowly and hugs him. "I won't let you down Darien."

A/N: Sorry so long on the update folks…I shall endeavor to do better.


	15. Chapter 15

The flight back to the castle is silent, this time however it's not due to Bunny's lack of voice, but rather the tears she's hiding in Darien's fur. Tears of frustration mostly due to not knowing how to help the young king resume his human form. True love's first kiss seems so unlikely to happen for him, as no one aside from the advisors and now herself have seen him in his human form in five years. She wipes her tears as they come in for the landing and once they are again on the ground she hugs him fiercely, silently thanking him for the ride and for confiding in her, before running inside.

Ned can sense his young charge's inner turmoil. He gives a small nod to Lita, who immediately knows that her friends have returned from their flight. Knowing also that she needs to keep up with their facade, she motions for Heather to come and spar with her. The short haired blonde responds immediately and within moments the two warriors are facing off, exchanging blows and hits, trying to sweep the other off her feet.

An opening presents itself and Lita pounces, but Heather is expecting it and easily tosses her to the ground. Leaning forward, hand extended in peace, Heather listens as Lita tells her that Darien and Bunny have returned to the castle. Nodding her understanding, Heather tugs Lita to her feet who bows to her accepting the loss of the sparring match. Lita then heads for the castle infirmary knowing that Amy will be anticipating some one to work on or patch up.

Amy turns as Bunny runs into the room, and knows almost immediately why the younger woman is so upset. She takes Bunny into her arms in a hug and leads her to one of the cots. Lita shows up just seconds later and Bunny dashes towards her.

"Easy Bunny...I take it that Darien told you why and how he ended up this way?"

Bunny nods and Lita sighs. "We've tried every thing to help him but there is no known cure for this curse. Well, none that most women are going to accept."

Bunny crosses her arms and Lita laughs at her. "You would accept him wouldn't you, if you thought he could love you in return."

Bunny starts to say something then frowns. She gives a small sigh of frustration and Lita nods. "We would all love to see that happen. It's just sad that he has so little time in which to find someone."

Bunny looks at her in alarm and Lita sighs. "No, I didn't mean that he is dying just that the five hour window is so limited. It's part of the reason for the ball. So that women can meet him again, or rather that he can at least socialize with them for an hour or two."

Bunny dances around the room and Lita laughs. "You would dance with our king, I know. I also know that we need you to stay here, where you will feel safe as the ball will be very crowded with a lot of people."

Bunny slowly nods her agreement. She didn't like the idea of leaving Darien alone however if someone was going to try and hurt him.

Amy taps her arm. "He won't be alone. Jason and Ned and Kaleb will all be there; it's part of our tradition. The men and Mina usually do the mingling while Lita does the cooking or the catering and I stay here if anyone needs a foot wrapped or a dress mended. Raye used to do a lot of the mingling too."

Bunny looks at the sad smile on Amy's face and knows immediately that she's thinking of past balls and dances. She taps Amy on the arm and dances around the room again, then points at Amy

"I usually will dance at least once with our king, and yes I had at least one dance with Zander. I do miss dancing with him, despite his infidelity."

Lita nods, "When I finish a certain cocktail tray I'll bring it out to the banquet tables or I'll mingle for a bit to see if anyone needs put in their place. Usually it's Ned as he tends to float outside and gaze at the stars."

Bunny giggles and nods her agreement that Ned does like his star-gazing. Then again, she'd liked it too; wondering what was out there, and dreaming about a castle on the moon. Thinking about her conversation with Darien she looks up at Lita silently asking a question.

"What is it Bunny?"

Remembering just in time not to verbally ask, Bunny draws a circle on Lita's arm then points skyward.

"The moon? Oh, the moon's monarchy? They should be here tonight as well. It's partially due to them that Darien is still alive actually. And it's in memory of the young princess that the ball is being given. She had started negotiations between Darien and her mother when she disappeared. Darien was cursed during that same time period."

A flash of memory almost more like a whisper echoes in Bunny's mind. Sitting in a beautiful garden and daydreaming, hearing a plot to overthrow a kingdom, running towards a warrior to tell her something and then blackness. Bunny blinks and looks around her.

Amy and Lita are conversing in a corner, neither of them looks like the warrior she's just envisioned. Ned peeks his head in and Bunny knows he's not the one she's just thought about either. Ned gives her an inquiring look and Bunny frowns.

"What is it, little one? Nightmare?"

Bunny slowly shakes her head as it hadn't been a nightmare, more of a remembering something vague yet something so important. She looks up at Ned frustration clearly written on her face.

Ned pats her shoulder and turns her to face him.

"When the time is right, when you need to know what it is that is hiding from you, that's when it will present itself. Don't fight it, just accept that it might take sometime for everything to come back to you and know also that if it doesn't, we still accept and love you just the same."

Bunny sighs and nods as Lita and Amy echo Ned's sentiments.

Out in the throne room, Darien barely notices the decorators as thoughts of his afternoon with Bunny fill his mind. He's fairly certain he did see the tell-tale crescent moon on her forehead just prior to his changing back into this beastly form. That a flash of not so much sunlight as moonlight is what woke him. Well that and the unearthly scream that erupted out of a throat that had previously been silent.

Her voice is soft, due in part to the trauma she's been through. It had also seemed almost cultured, educated and with just the slightest accent. Like a princess should sound to his whimsical way of thinking. He sighs as he slumps down onto his throne and cups his muzzle, remembering the way she'd touched him without fear or loathing or anything other than curiosity and caring. He dozes off a smile gracing his features for the first time in almost five years.


	16. Chapter 16

The night of the ball arrives and the excitement in the air builds as princess after princess comes forward to dance with King Darien. Kaleb swings Mina into a waltz and they search the room for any sign of trouble. Ned dances by with one of the visiting princesses shaking his head at something she's saying or possibly suggesting. An hour passes, then two and finally, the main event of the evening: the arrival of the Moon's Monarchy.

Serenity and Selune scan the crowded room, trying without success to spot the one person they've been looking for; their own lost princess. They make their way to where Darien is standing by his throne. He bows and offers Selune his arm. As they head for the dance floor Darien says softly,

"We have her hidden for now. Keep dancing and listen. When my advisors came back they had a small blonde girl with them. Her name is Bunny and for all we can tell, she is your missing princess. She was suffering from amnesia for almost this entire time. I think she started remembering a few days ago. Nothing concrete, but she did have a small crescent moon on her forehead one day when we were out flying."

"That's usually an indicator of trouble. What happened?"

"I fell asleep and she was watching over me. If not for her scream and then the sigil shining, I'm not sure I would have woken up. Basically, she saved our lives."

Selune thinks about that day, just a few days ago, when she and Serenity had finally felt the presence of their lost one. Serenity had tried for almost a full day and night to contact their princess, but something or someone is still blocking their efforts.

Darien can sense the distress that is slowly overtaking his guest, "What is it, my Lady?"

"Our... we have a mental link to her, or we should have. At this close range, we should be able to communicate with her and she with us, but it's like we can't get through to her."

Darien nods, "I think part of that, and forgive us for doing this, is due to me and my advisors. When we started thinking that Bunny might be your princess, we put our own mental shielding around her. We still have some traitors in our midst and we don't want to tip our hand until they have arrived. It is for her protection, as well as the other innocents around us."

Selune shakes her head, "No, you don't understand. This is a familial link. We can usually feel that other person even through a shield. We are this close, and we still only sense each other, not Serena."

Darien thinks, "Would a head trauma cause it? Ned said that she'd been wounded; comatose for a few days after they'd found her. She had then and still has very little memory prior to five years ago."

Selune nods, "That would make sense. A head wound, or trauma might bend the bond just enough that we can't feel where exactly she is."

Selune suddenly stiffens, "You didn't tell me that you had someone here from the Dark Moon Kingdom."

Darien looks around and the only newcomers are Beryl and Melvin (Raye and Zander). He escorts Selune to Serenity's side then goes to where Mina is dancing with Kaleb and taps the other man on the shoulder. Bowing gracefully to his lady, Kaleb nods to Darien that he's seen the arrival of the last couple.

Darien dances Mina around the ballroom floor a few times, telling her what he's learned from Selune. She smiles and laughs as if they were having a normal conversation, then when he returns her to Kaleb's side, informs him of the king's findings. The next half hour proceeds in much the same way; Darien dances with the ladies and if they are one of his advisors, he tells that particular lady about Selune's beliefs and that lady conveys the information to her husband.

Michelle takes a break long enough to dance with Darien and he informs her also about the possibility of Beryl and Melvin belonging to the Dark Moon Family. Not letting her alarm show on her face, she nods and laughs as if he's just told her a funny anecdote. Heather can tell immediately that something has upset her partner but as she is supposed to be part of the Royal Guard, does nothing to indicate that she knows something is going on.

Lita comes out of the kitchens, in theory checking on the buffet tables, but also to do a quick surveillance. Seeing where everyone is, she nods to Darien when he offers her his arm and does her quick trip around the ballroom floor with him.

"Our rabbit is still with Amy. Do you want me to send either of them out?"

"We need Amy just to keep up appearances. Then I'll have Ned apparently trip and that will be his cue to go get the rabbit. Be prepared for anything; Selune says we have the Black Moon family here and that could be the battle we planned on but were not expecting."

Lita nods and laughs as she dances her way back to the kitchens. Once in there, she hurries to the infirmary and tells Amy it's her turn to dance with their king. Amy can tell that something isn't quite right and Lita gives a subtle nod in Bunny's direction. Slipping into her higher heeled shoes, Amy glides out onto the dance floor where Darien immediately lays claim to her.

Darien smiles as he mutters, "Keep Bunny by your side until Ned comes in. I think we have more trouble than we were originally expecting."

Amy gives him one of her shy smiles as she asks, "Do we have anything we can use to protect ourselves if it is that serious?"

Darien shakes his head, "Not unless I transform, and that might be just what we need to do. I don't know what the Moon's Monarchy has for powers. I know what legends I've heard over time, but I don't know how much of it actually is legend and what is the truth."

Amy nods thoughtfully and smiles up at him, "Are they the ones who sensed the evil you weren't expecting?" At Darien's nod she smiles again, "Let them lead. We have the two soldiers that they aren't expecting here and if I remember the legends correctly, there will be at least one or two more that will show up just in the nick of time so to speak."

Smiling as he leads her off the dance floor, Darien looks around, making sure that if he has to change, he can do so without scaring his guests. Kaleb comes over to him and asks what their plan is and Darien shakes his head.

"Just be ready," he tells him and Kaleb frowns as he tries to figure out what his liege lord, his friend might be plotting. Inhaling his frustration, he heads back over to Mina and pulls her into his arms for the next dance. Watching without trying to tip their hand, they both stiffen slightly when Beryl/Raye heads over for her dance with their king.

They watch uncomfortably as she twists and turns in his arms, trying without success to seduce the man who is still their king. He shakes his head at her, and she flounces back over to Melvin/Zander who glares at Darien with so much malice that they all know that whatever happens, will definitely be happening that evening.

For his own part, Darien's not going to reveal the Beast inside until it's absolutely necessary and he needs the advisors to be just as surprised as everyone else if they're going to pull this off successfully. Yes they all know what he is, what he becomes, but with almost two hours still remaining until he has to change into his beastly form and the dance is over, no one will be expecting the transformation until it's actually upon him.

tbc


End file.
